NIU's defense confident it can contain FSU's offense

Huskies aren't bothered by popular view Seminoles are bigger, stronger and faster

December 28, 2012|By Steve Gorten, Sun Sentinel

MIAMI — Three years have since passed, but Florida State running back Devonta Freeman still remembers that punishing hit from high school.

His Miami Central team was playing Miramar in the Class 6A state semifinals when linebacker Jamaal Bass blitzed, burst through into the backfield and slammed into Freeman.

"He definitely got a great hit on me," Freeman said, laughing as he recalled the play. "As soon as I got the ball, he was right here in my face."

"He didn't see me," Bass said. "I just got a good shot on him."

Bass, whose team won 21-14 and ultimately captured the state title in 2009, will be pursuing Freeman again Tuesday when Northern Illinois faces FSU in the 2013 Orange Bowl.

An outside linebacker and the Huskies' third-leading tackler with 76, the redshirt sophomore is one of four players from South Florida listed as a defensive starter or a co-starter on the team's depth chart entering the biggest game in program history. Bass, junior defensive tackle Ken Bishop from Piper High, senior cornerback Demetrius Stone from Hialeah American and redshirt senior linebacker Victor Jacques from Miami Christopher Columbus are no strangers to the caliber of speed and skill they'll see on FSU's offense.

Whether they, or the rest of the Huskies defense, can match up with that talent remains to be seen.

"Florida State's a great team. I know they've got a lot of talent and size, but we've got a lot of talent as well," Bishop said. "I feel like we're able to match up defensively."

Said Freeman: "They're fast, and they're also physical. We've got to definitely try to set them up the best way we can, try to get them off-balance, make that cut and go downhill from there."

He added, "I know what type of dude Jamaal is. He's a great [team] captain, and he's going to get them hyped. They're going to definitely come out with their 'A' game. I know that for a fact."

The Huskies' defense, led in tackles by safety Jimmie Ward (90), outside linebacker Tyrone Clark (82), Bass and Stone (73), ranks 33rd in the nation against the run (139.0 yards allowed per game) and 39th against the pass (217.7). They've held five teams below 300 yards in total offense, and their 40 sacks are second-most for a single season in school history.

"We have to make sure we are physical. That is going to be the main thing," Stone said. "We know they are going to try and run the ball, because that is one of their strengths, so we want to make sure we are physical swarming to the ball."

NIU players are well aware of the widely held assumption that FSU players are bigger, faster and stronger than they, but don't seem fazed by it.

"You look on paper, and they are bigger than us. Faster, I can't say, but they are in the ACC, so they've got that reputation in the South for being bigger, stronger, faster," said senior defensive end Sean Progar, who will make his 48th career start in the Orange Bowl. "It's not going to come down to that. We aren't really worried about [that]. We are going to worry about what we can do, execute our game plan and hopefully that gets us to where we need to be."

The Huskies have consistently gotten strong pressure this season with four pass rushers, led by ends Alan Baxter and Progar, who've combined for 18 sacks. Against FSU's offensive line, they'll consider a fifth rusher at times to pressure quarterback E.J. Manuel, defensive coordinator Jay Niemann said Friday.

"I feel like we just have to stop the run and force them to be one-dimensional, force them to pass," Ward said, adding, "It doesn't matter about size, but we'll see on January 1st."